Conventional machines of the type in question comprise a conveyor affording a plurality of pockets by which respective packets are accommodated and directed from an infeed station to an outfeed station. Each packet supplied to the conveyor via the infeed station presents a plurality of contiguous side walls extending parallel to a predominating axis of the selfsame packet, a plurality of bottom end folds that will be bent to form the bottom of the packet, and a plurality of top end folds that will be bent to form the lid of the packet. When the packet is taken up by the conveyor, all of the end folds are disposed parallel to the predominating axis, and have yet to be bent and glued in position.
The packets are carried by the conveyor along a predetermined feed path through a succession of processing stations. At a first such station, folder mechanisms operating alongside the pockets will engage the bottom end folds and bend them inwards to form a container with an open top.
The pockets and the part-formed packets then pass through a filling station occupiable by a plurality of hoppers from which a predetermined quantity of sweets or candies will be directed into each packet.
Prior art machines also comprise a plurality of folder units associated one with each of the pockets and brought into operation downstream of the filling station, bending and closing the top end folds to form a hinged lid.
Since a dedicated folder unit is utilized for each single size and style of packet, all of the units associated with the pockets must be changes whenever the size of the packet in production is changed. The number of folder units installed has a notable impact on the cost of the device and on the space occupied by the pockets.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems associated with the prior art by providing a device for folding the lids of rigid packets in machines for making such packets, and a machine incorporating such a device, such as will be unaffected by the drawbacks mentioned above.
In particular, the object of the invention is to set forth a device for folding the lids of rigid packets in machines for making such packets, and a machine incorporating such a device, that will be structurally simpler and more reliable than devices and machines of the prior art.